


The Town Without Me

by FinnandJack2022



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mortal, Cecil - Freeform, Death Note - Freeform, Glee - Freeform, Lou Ellen - Freeform, M/M, Nico di Angelo - Freeform, Solangelo smut, Will Solace - Freeform, solangelo, solangelo fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 18:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6577294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FinnandJack2022/pseuds/FinnandJack2022
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico di Angelo is the shy quiet kid who always sits by himself at lunch, writing in the same black notebook. </p><p>Lou Ellen and Cecil are convinced it's a Death Note. Will is convinced they're just plain stupid.</p><p>When Nico drops a slip of notebook paper, and Will is sent to retrieve, the words are more beautifully tragic than any death note could ever hope to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Town Without Me

**Author's Note:**

> CAUTION: This story contains many Death Note, Erase, and Glee references! 
> 
> "The Town Without Me," is an original short essay written by me, but I feel like it fits Nico's personality so perfectly, I just had to dedicate a whole fic to it (:

“I’m _telling you_ ,” Lou Ellen whispered to her two best friends, Will Solace and Cecil Puckerman. “I’m _convinced_ that di Angelo kid has his very own death note! I mean, all he ever does is write in that damned notebook!”

Will snickered as Cecil seriously considered her theory. The blonde haired boy snorted when he realized the elfish boy was legitimately considering Lou Ellen’s proposal.

“He’s like… Light and L mixed into one person,” the pink haired girl mumbled beneath her breath. “He even _looks_ like L! A perfect Kira combination!”

Cecil’s eyes grew wide as his mind finally put the pieces together.

“I can’t believe I never noticed it myself!” he cried in disbelief. “It makes absolute sense!”

“Oh please, you guys are ridiculous!” Will stated sharply. Lou Ellen and Cecil sank in their seats and waited for the lecture which was sure to come.

“Just because he wears black all day and acts all broody and stuff doesn’t mean he’s a psychopathic killer with his own shinigami and notebook of death and red apples! God, you two watch way too much anime!”

“But… _The notebook_ ,” Cecil whispered weakly.

“... Is a great movie,” Will finished.

Lou Ellen snorted loudly while Will cracked a triumphant smile. Cecil opened his mouth in protest, but the loud ring of the bell effectively shut him up, causing the other two teenagers to erupt into a fit of laughter.

“Classic, classic,” Lou Ellen giggled.

As Will was stuffing his leftover sandwich and bag of chips into his bag, the pink haired girl suddenly screeched and threw herself onto the ground.

“Lou!” Will hissed. “What the hell are you doing!”

“Shut up, shut up!” she demanded, raising her left hand towards his face. After a few moments the green eyed girl rose to her feet, dusted off her clothes, and gave the two boys a piercing look.

“Well, what is it?” Cecil asked curiously.

“When I was putting my pens back in my bag,” she began silently, not wanting anyone else in the cafeteria to hear, “I saw a note slip from di Angelo’s notebook… A _death note_.”

The blonde haired boy groaned as Cecil jumped up and down in excitement.

“For the last time, this is _not_ an anime! There’s no such thing as a death note or gods of death or whatever else is in that show!”

“To-Oh University _is_ real,” Cecil grumbled.

“Not the point!” Will cried. “What I’m trying to say is that your little conspiracy is totally untrue!”

“Oh yeah?” Lou Ellen challenged.

“Yes!” Will shouted back.

The skinny girl looked Will up and down, her glaring green eyes never leaving his figure.

“If you’re so sure, then _you_ go pick up the notebook paper and see what’s on it! If it turns out to be a real death note, then you’ll be the only one able to see Nico’s shinigami!”

“Oh dear lord,” Will mumbled. “If I do it, and we find out I’m _right_ , will you guys please shut up about this stupid theory?”

His two best friends nodded eagerly, practically pushing Will across the cafeteria and towards the stray piece of notebook paper.

With one last frustrated sigh, he marched towards the discarded note and picked it up.

What he saw written on the paper completely shocked him.

 _No_ , it _wasn’t_ the names of hundreds of the world’s most known criminals (Lou Ellen and Cecil were _really_ pushing it with that theory), but a short personal piece written by none other than Nico di Angelo.

 _Oh dear god_ , Will worried to himself. _Should I even bother to read this? It would be an invasion of Nico’s personal privacy! It would be wrong!_

Will knew he should put the slip of notebook paper down and forget he ever picked it up at all, but the words written on the page were practically _calling out_ to him.

For years, Will had watched Nico scribble in the exact same notebook, never bothering to pay anything or anyone else any attention.

During the two years Will had studied Nico writing in his notebook, he discovered a lot of other things no one else would have noticed.

One of those things was that Nico bit his lower lip. _A lot_. Every time he’d flip a page in his notebook, it was always followed by a tug on his lower lip. Whenever Will saw the clockwork ritual, he felt like he was interrupting something he had no business seeing. Still, he could never turn his eyes away from the marvelous sight that was Nico di Angelo.

Another tendency the pale boy had was he batted his eyelashes constantly. They were long and thick, incredibly feminine and outrageously gorgeous. Will could feel the gentle breeze each time the boy fluttered his butterfly eyelashes, and each time the blonde boy blushed a little deeper.

The last, and most endearing, thing Nico did that Will found absolutely adorable was he always took off his shoes. It was such a menial thing, but Will thought it was the cutest thing ever. The short boy would slip off his shoes and cross his legs as if he were in grade school, and Will could never help the childish smile that would spread across his face each time he witnessed it.

Throughout high school, Will had always wanted to be Nico’s friend. Hell, he would of been happy with simply exchanging smiles and a sweet hello while passing each other down the hall!

Sadly, he could never muster up the courage to approach the Italian boy.

There was a time during his junior year when he thought they could be friends, but it all turned to ashes. Will had awkwardly walked up to Nico, about to invite him to join him, Lou Ellen, and Cecil for lunch, when the short boy scurried away and never looked back.

And now here he was, at the edge of the cafeteria, in the same place Nico had run away all those months ago, with a piece of paper etched with the most beautiful calligraphy Will had ever seen.

Hesitantly, he scanned his eyes over the piece’s title, and a small frown formed across his lips.

_The Town Without Me_

_By Nico di Angelo_

After reading the title, Will decided the piece was probably something he shouldn’t see, but the curiously begged him to continue reading. Reluctantly, his blue eyes began to scroll down the page.

     _Everyday I roam the same soulless streets. Everyday I encounter the same unhappy faces who have reduced themselves to almost nothing, the same crumbling houses which have been ignored like I have been ignored by the surrounding community, but most of all, I see the same dull world which had lost its meaning years ago._

_Every morning, as I make the awful journey back into this forsaken town, a sense of dread fills my entire body as I pass by houses whose fate has been forgotten so long ago. Peeling paint and faded red bricks decorate the unloved house, a house which had once been a home-a home which was once filled with the joyful noise of children’s laughter, the sound of parents returning at exactly 5 pm, and the hustle and bustle of a wonderful world soaring around them. Now the house sits barren and alone, a useless structure which has disappeared with time._

_As I navigate the crowded but seemingly empty streets, I am met with the dreadful, halfway dead, unhappy faces which pop up all over this town. No one smiles, no one laughs, and no one cheers. No one cares about anyone but themselves. People stopped caring about others years ago. Nowadays people tie themselves into unwanted relationships which breed nothing but resentment. They mix themselves up with someone who connects to them like an anchor of depression, pulling them down until they sink, and the whole time no one realizes they are drowning. Unhealthy influences drag them down into a colorless world-a world with broken homes, stifled laughter, and unhappy faces._

_The worse part about this town is its unbearable dullness. The town, which had once been high-class and wonderful and full of beauty, is now shrouded with a depressive cloud of boredom which surrounds each resident. One day, I wish to run far away from this town and never look back. I dream of giving my children a life filled with loving homes, happy faces, but most importantly, I dream of letting them live in a world full of color._

Tears rushed down Will’s face as the story came to a bittersweet end.

 _I had no idea he was so unhappy_ , Will cried to himself.

Seconds later, Lou Ellen and Cecil were at his side, worried expressions plastered across both of their faces.

“Will, honey,” Lou Ellen cooed softly. She wiped away his tears with her thumb. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry,” Will squeaked in defeat. “I’m such a cry baby when it comes to beautiful literature.”

“Beautiful literature?” Cecil questioned.

Will raised the lone piece of paper and the brown eyed boy’s mouth formed into a perfect _‘o’_.

“Can we read it?” Lou Ellen asked after a few moments of silence.

“It seems really personal,” Will said. “But I guess if I’ve already read it, then there’s no reason you guys can’t too.”

Will handed Lou Ellen the paper and the other two teens quickly scanned their eyes down the page. Cecil’s face went grim as Lou Ellen tried desperately to stop her tears.

“Damn,” Cecil bellowed. “That’s really deep.”

“It’s amazing,” Lou Ellen added. “It’s beautiful and morbid at the same time, just like… like...“

“Nico,” Will finished.

He never meant to share that thought aloud. For years, Will admired how beautifully tragic Nico was. Now that he accidentally let his feelings slip, Will was afraid of his friends finding out about his secret crush. A light blush spilled across his face. Thankfully, his friends were too submerged in the piece to pay him any real attention. Like the past two years, his feelings went unnoticed.

“Yeah,” Lou Ellen whispered. “Just like Nico.”

Everyone at school heard the bits and rumors circulating about the pale boy’s troubled past.

All through elementary and middle school, Nico had been a nerd with an obsessive Mythomagic addiction and the golden voice of an angel.

He and his older sister, Bianca, would constantly sing classic Italian songs from the 1940’s through the 1960’s. Crowds of students would flock their performances and teachers would tear up at the sight.

For most of his life, Nico di Angelo had been a happy kid.

And then eighth grade happened.

No one really knows all the details, but according to the rumors, Nico and Bianca had gotten into a huge arguement the day she went missing. Nico stormed off and left Bianca to walk home alone. He was the last person who ever saw her alive.

It’s been three years now, but Bianca’s body was never found, nor was there any trace of her whereabouts. Ever since his sister disappeared, Nico’s shut himself away from the world and into his own image of despair.

“He really is something, isn’t he?” Cecil said through the tension boiling around the group.

“He sure is,” Will remarked.

_~Page Break~_

For the rest of the school day, Will carried Nico’s story in his back pocket. He had no idea how to return it to the boy, but he knew he had to do it soon. If the look on Nico’s face was anything to go on, the Italian boy was already aware his piece was missing.

It wasn’t until the last bell of the day rang that Will finally gathered the courage to approach Nico.

 _Just give it to him_ , Will demanded. _He’s just a guy, he’s not going to bite._

“Nico!” Will called before the boy could leave the classroom.

To Will’s surprise, the dark haired boy actually stopped and turned to face him.

“Yes?” he asked with his left eyebrow raised.

Will’s heart did a little backflip as he felt Nico’s eyes linger for a second too long.

“I have-um…. I have something to, to give you,” Will stuttered.

He glided towards Nico slowly, afraid that if he went any faster he would scare the younger boy away. Will gingerly pulled the slip of paper out of his back pocket and handed it to Nico.

Nico’s chocolate brown eyes widened and his breath hitched.

“Where-Where did you find this?” he asked in disbelief.

“You accidentally dropped it in the cafeteria,” Will replied, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

At this point, he expected Nico to slap him across the face and stomp out the door. Oh, how wrong he was.

Instead, the shorter boy gave Will a light smile, happiness glazing his pretty eyes.

“Thank you, Will,” Nico said.

“You know my name?”

Nico snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Obviously, Solace! We’ve been in the same class since the sixth grade.”

Will shrugged sheepishly as a playful giggle escaped Nico’s lips.

“Wow,” Will mused.

Nico’s smile fell and his giggle came to a halt. Will scolded himself for being such an idiot.

“What?” Nico asked self consciously.

A flustered look spread across Will’s face as his ears turned bright red.

“Nothing,” Will answered. “You just have a really pretty laugh.”

“Thank you,” Nico responded shyly, biting his lower lip in the same way Will had grown to love.

A small smile played at Nico’s lips, but it was gone so fast Will wasn’t sure if he had imagined it or not.

“Did you read it?” Nico asked, breaking Will away from his thoughts.

“What?” he questioned stupidly.

Nico snorted and it was again followed by an adorable giggle.

“Did you read what was on the paper?” he clarified.

“Oh!” Will exclaimed. “Yeah, I did, and I’m really sorry, I know it was personal and I shouldn’t have snooped through your things but I was so curious about you, and you’re always writing in that notebook, and when Lou Ellen told me you dropped a page-”

“Will!” Nico shouted over Will’s ranting. He raised his thin hands in the air and gave the blue eyed boy a bewildered look. “Slow down, and breath,” he said calmly.

“I’m sorry,” Will said sadly.

“Hey, it’s okay, we all rant every once in awhile. We Italians do it all the time! You should see my mother and father!”

Will chuckled lightly before hanging his head down in shame. Why wasn’t Nico telling him off yet?

“No, not for that. I’m sorry for reading your story without your permission.”

A soft smile seeped across Nico’s face. He gently placed a hand on Will’s shoulder and squeezed lightly. An electric current flowed throughout both their bodies, and both boys tried desperately to hide their blushing faces.

Skeletal butterflies erupted in Nico’s stomach.

“It’s okay,” Nico said in the same calm tone. “I’m not upset.”

Will beamed brighter than the sun at Nico’s words.

“Oh thank the lord!” Will cheered. “If you don’t mind, I was wondering if you could tell me what The Town Without Me is all about?” he asked curiously.

Nico hesitated for a moment. Will’s heart stopped. He had stepped too far. He was pushing Nico away. All his years of admiring him from afar were now ruined.

“Okay,” Nico squeaked. “I’d be happy to share it’s meaning with you.”

“Wait, really?”

The same playful smile appeared on Nico’s face, and now Will was certain he hadn’t imagined it before.

“For a price,” Nico joked. “We can discuss it over a McDonald’s Happy Meal, or not at all. The choice is all yours.”

Will held out his arm for Nico to take.

“Let’s go!” Will proclaimed cheerfully.

Nico’s cheeks turned a dark shade of pink as he linked his arm with Will’s.

 _I’m going to make sure he never feels alone in this town again_ , Will promised.

 _This time, I’m not going to push him away. Not again_ , Nico reassured himself.


End file.
